Lifting apparatus

ABSTRACT

A hand truck having a blade provided with a slot extending toward the leading edge of the blade. A support having a reduced portion slidable in the slot is carried by the blade. The frame of the hand truck carries a pivoted member engageable with the support to slide same toward the leading edge of the blade. In use, the leading edge of the blade is inserted under one side of a load, and the hand truck is then tilted to lift such side of the load. The operator then uses his foot to displace the pivoted member forwardly, thereby sliding the support to a position close to the leading edge of the blade. The operator then lowers the load onto the support, which holds the load while the operator inserts the blade of the hand truck all the way under. The load is then handled in the usual way.

United States Patent [1 1 1111 3,791,542 Mauch [451 Feb. 12', 1974 LIFTING APPARATUS Primary Examiner-Albert J. Makay Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Harris, Kern, Wallen &

[76] Inventor: Floyd Mauch, 935 N. Fairfax, Los

Angeles, Calif. 90046 Tinsley [22] Filed: May 30, 1972 57 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 257,677 1 A hand truck having a blade provided with a slot ex- I tending toward the leading edge of the blade A sup- [52] US. Cl 214/370, 280/47.27 port having a reduced portion Slidable in the Slot is [5 I. 7 carried the blade The frame of the hand truck [58] held of Search 214/370 ries a pivoted member engageable with the support to 214,377,378 slide same toward the leading edge of the blade. In '280/4727 use, the leading edge of the blade is inserted underone side of a load, and the hand truck is then-tilted to [56] References cued lift such side of the load. The operator then uses his I UNITED STATESPATENTS foot 'to displace the pivoted member forwardly, 1,709,737 4/1929 Perry 214/370 X thereby sliding the support to a position close to the .572,411 12/1896 Cunninghamll. 280/47.27 leading edge of the blade; The operator then lowers 1,187,939 6/1916 Taylor 280/47.27 the l d onto h support, which holds the load while 1,636,574 7/1927 Perry 280/47.27 X h Operator inserts blade of the hand truck n the way under. The load is then handled in the usual way. 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures l LIFTING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The present invention relates in general to a load lifting and transporting apparatus of the type which includes a lifting means having a leading edge insertable under the load until the load is supported by the lifting means. Such lifting means may be a blade, a fork, or the lifted and transported thereby, particularly in the case of a heavy load resting'on a floor with little clearance. In such a situation, while the leading edge of the blade can be inserted under one side of the load fairly easily,

the blade can be forced all the way under only with considerable difficulty in many instances.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION With the foregoing background in mind, the primary object'of the invention is to provide a load lifting and moving apparatus, such as a hand truck, the lifting means of which can be inserted all the way under the load quickly and easily.

More particularly, an important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus having a support carried by the lifting means which temporarily carries the weight of one side of the load while the lifting means is inserted all the way under.

' Another important object of the invention is to provide a lifting means equipped with such a temporary support which is of very simple construction, which can be operated; quickly and easily, and which does not add to the weight of the apparatus.

-The'invent ion may be summarized as including, and another object thereof is to provide a load lifting and moving apparatus which includes: lifting means having a leading edge insertable under the load; means for elevating the leading edge of the lifting means to lift at least one side of the load; a support carried by the lifting means and movable toward and away from the leading edge thereof; whereby the load may be lifted on at least one side by the leading edge of the lifting means and the support may then be moved toward the leading edge of the lifting means and under one side of the load to support same temporarily, whereupon the lifting means may be inserted farther under the load.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of theforegoing nature wherein the support is simply slidably mounted on the lifting means for movement toward and away from the leading edge thereof.

Yet another object is to provide an apparatus wherein the lifting means is provided with a slot extending toward the leading edge thereof, and wherein the support is provided with a reduced portion slidable in such slot.

An additional object is to provide an apparatus which includes a member pivotally mounted on the frame of the apparatus and engageable with the support to slide same toward the leading edge of the lifting means.

An important object is to provide an apparatus having a forwardly tapered blade to facilitate insertion under a load.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages, features and results which will be evident to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in detail hereinafter.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a hand truck which embodies the invention;

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary sectional views, taken as indicated by the arrowed line 2-2 of FIG. 1, illustrating the operation of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 6--6 of FIG. 5 of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION Referring to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates generally a more-or-less conventional hand truck having transversely spaced wheels 12 and incorporating a load lifting means 14 which embodiesthe invention. In the specific embodiment selected for consideration herein, the lifting means 14 comprises a blade 16 having a leading edge 18 insertable under one side of a load 20, as shown in FIG. 2, for example. An important feature of the invention is that the blade 16 is, generally speaking, forwardly tapered. More particularly, the leading edge 18 is formed by a relatively narrow, forwardly projecting central portion of the blade 16, and the. outer portions of the blade divergerearwardly on both sides of such central portion, as indicated at 19. With this blade shape, insertion under a load is greatly facilitated.

The blade 16 is provided therein with a fore-and-aft extending slot 22, generally perpendicular to the leading edge 18 and extending into close proximity thereto. Slidable in the slot 22 in the fore-and-aft direction is a reduced portion 24 of a spool-like support 26 provided with upper and lower flanges 28 and 30. Preferably, the reduced portion 24 and the upper and lower flanges 28 and 30 are all square. The upper surface of the blade 16 is provided with a recess 32 around the slot 22, such recess being adapted to receive the upper flange 28 of the support 26, while transporting a load, to render the top of the support 26 flush with the upper surface of the blade 16.

As will be apparent, the reduced portion 24 of the support 26 and the slot 22 in the blade 16 constitute a guide means which permits fore-and-aft sliding movement of the support 26 with only limited vertical movement of the support relative to the blade. In other words, the flanges 28 and 300m the support 26 cooperate with the top and bottom surfaces of the blade 16 to limit vertical movement of the support relative to the blade, while permittingfore-and aft sliding movement of the support.

The frame of the hand truck 10 is provided with a transversely extending rod 34.on which an acutating member 36 is pivoted for fore-and-aft swinging movemerit. The upper end of the actuating member 36 is provided with a vertical slot 38 to receive the rod 34, and lateral movement along the rod is prevented by stops 39. The lower end of the actuating member 36 is engageable with the support 26 and serves to displace the support forwardly to the forward end of the slot 22, as shown in FIG. 3. Preferably, the operators foot is used to swing the actuating member 36 forwardly, as shown in FIG. 3, thereby displacing the support 26 into a position adjacent the leading edge 18 of the blade 16.

In operation, the operator inserts the leading edge 18' of the hand truck blade 16 under one side of the load 20, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing. Then, the operator pulls rearwardly on the handles 40 of the hand truck to lift one side of the load 20, as shown in FIG. 3. As also shown in FIG. 3, the operator then displaces the pivoted actuating member 36 forwardly to slide the support 26 into a position under the load 20, the blade 16 being elevated far enough as this is done to permit the support 26 to slide under the load freely.

With one side of the load 20 now supported in an elevated position by the support 26, the operator can quickly and easily insert the blade 16 all the way under the load, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing. Then, the operator tilts the hand truck 10 rearwardly in the usual manner, as suggested in FIG. 5, to transfer the entire weight of the load to the blade 16. The load is then transported to the desired location in the customary manner for hand trucking operation.

The support 26 may be caused to slide to the rearward end of the slot 22 simply by tilting the truck rearwardly at an angle of 45 or so. If desired, it may be releasably held in this position by a spring clip, not shown.

Thus, the present invention provides a very simple and effective way of temporarily supporting one side of a load in an elevated position while the blade 16 is inserted all the way under the load, which is an important feature of the invention.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions can be incorporated in such embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereinafter appearing.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for lifting and moving a load, the combination of:

a. lifting means having a leading edge insertable under the load, wherein said lifting means comprises a blade;

b. means for elevating said leading edge of said lifting means to lift at least one side of the load;

c. a support carried by said lifting means and movable toward and away from said leading edge thereof, said support being slidably mounted on said blade, said blade being provided with a slot extending toward said leading edge, and said support being provided with a reduced portion slidable in said slot; and

d. whereby the load may be lifted on at least one side by said leading edge of. saidv lifting means and said support may then be moved toward said leading edge of said lifting means and under one side of the load to support same temporarily, whereupon said lifting means may be inserted farther under the load.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 including:

a. a frame carrying said blade; and

b. a member pivotally mounted on said frame and engageable with said support to slide same toward said leading edge of said blade.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said slot is recessed along each side to provide a recess and said support is provided with a head above said reduced portion and adapted to fit down into said recess. 

1. In an apparatus for lifting and moving a load, the combination of: a. lifting means having a leading edge insertable under the load, wherein said lifting means comprises a blade; b. means for elevating said leading edge of said lifting means to lift at least one side of the load; c. a support carried by said lifting means and movable toward and away from said leading edge thereof, said support being slidably mounted on said blade, said blade being provided with a slot extending toward said leading edge, and said support being provided with a reduced portion slidable in said slot; and d. whereby the load may be lifted on at least one side by said leading edge of said lifting means and said support may then be moved toward said leading edge of said lifting means and under one side of the load to support same temporarily, whereupon said lifting means may be inserted farther under the load.
 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 including: a. a frame carrying said blade; and b. a member pivotally mounted on said frame and engageable with said support to slide same toward said leading edge of said blade.
 3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said slot is recessed along each side to provide a recess and said support is provided with a head above said reduced portion and adapted to fit down into said recess. 